Just watched a client burn $3k on a CRM they didn't need

I was at a networking event downtown last Tuesday and this guy from a plumbing supply company tells me he just signed a three year deal with Salesforce. I asked him what they were using before and he said a shared Excel sheet with 20 people. I mean really, that's like buying a whole new truck when your old one just needs new wipers. Has anyone else seen small shops get pushed into way too much software by smooth talking sales reps?

3 comments

3 Comments

umar491mo ago

$3k on a CRM when a Google Sheet was working fine. Classic case of a sales rep smelling commission and a business owner wanting to look professional. Bet the plumbing guy spends more time wrestling with Salesforce than actually calling customers. The real kicker is when they realize the Excel sheet had less bugs and nobody had to watch a 45 minute training video to figure out how to sort contacts. At least he's got three years of buyer's remorse to look forward to.

pat_moore1mo ago

Ha! I read a study last year that said something like 60% of small businesses never even use most of the features in those big CRM systems. They just pay for them and never set them up right. I bet that plumbing guy is going to be on the phone with support next week trying to figure out how to just add a new customer name. It's a shame because a simple tool that fits what you actually do is way better than something that just looks impressive on paper.

aaron7401mo ago

Honestly, I had a client almost do the same thing until I got them to try Folk for $25 a month instead of the big fancy one. They've been using it for a year now and it does everything they actually needed.